A high amount of LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the arteries and cause the hardened arteries of coronary artery disease. This disorder is called atherosclerosis, and it not only makes it hard for the blood to flow through the abnormal arteries, but poses the risk of blood clots. LDL cholesterol has also been associated with cancer.
What is LDL Cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol, or low-density lipoproteins, is just one type of cholesterol found in the body. It is also referred to as the "bad cholesterol" because a high level of LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the arteries. As explained in "Handbook of Pathophysiology" by Elizabeth Corwin, Ph.D., if an artery is damaged by some kind of injury, cholesterol and fat will accumulate at the injured site, followed by blood cells, connective tissue, smooth muscle cells and calcium.
LDL Cholesterol and Coronary Artery Disease
Thus, a high level of LDL cholesterol can accumulate inside the arteries and lead to coronary artery disease, a condition in which the arteries harden because of the buildup of cholesterol. As a result, the passageway where blood flows becomes narrow. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2006, approximately 16 percent of Americans who are 20-years-old or older have a high cholesterol level. Doctors have found, however, that a low LDL cholesterol level can be a risk for developing cancer, although this is rare.
LDL Cholesterol and Cancer
Xilin Yang, Ph.D. writes in an August 2008 article in the "Canadian Medical Association Journal" about a research study conducted in Hong Kong which found that people with diabetes mellitus Type 2 who have a low or high LDL cholesterol level have an increased risk of developing cancer. The study involved following 6,107 people for an average of 4.9 years who did not have any history of cancer. Cancer developed in 270 of them, or 4.4 percent, which is approximately 33 percent higher than the general population in Hong Kong of people 35-years-old and older.
LDL Medication and Cancer
Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, M.D. of the Tufts University School of Medicine writes in an August 2008 article in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" about a review of 15 clinical trials of a statin cholesterol-lowering medication that reported on LDL cholesterol levels and any development of cancer. This study showed that taking statin medications does not result in a higher risk of developing cancer, even though the medication lowered the level of LDL cholesterol.
References
- Canadian Medical Association Journal: Independent associations between LDL lipoprotein cholesterol and cancer
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cholesterol
- "Handbook of Pathophysiology"; Elizabeth Corwin, MSN, Ph.D., FNP; 2000
- Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Statins, LDL Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Risk of Cancer
